Heat, part 2
by Jessa4865
Summary: Triple digit temps, a busted appliance, and a threat of violence culminates in an offer Carter can't refuse.
1. Chapter 1

_Title: Heat, part 2_

_Author: wolfmusic218 & Jessa4865_

_Summary: Triple digit temps, a busted appliance, and a threat of violence culminates in an offer Carter can't refuse. _

_Author's notes: This is basically a PWP with no redeeming social value whatsoever but was hella fun to write together. Since we can't post as co-authors, we'll each post 6 chapters. Taking over posting for wolfmusic218 here. If you haven't read the first half, you should find Heat, part 1 to catch up._

Chapter 7

The walk back from hardware store, in the heat, took longer than expected and gave Reese time to consider what had happened at Jos's apartment. He couldn't help the grin and the one thought that kept popping into his head: she wanted him.

Carter was nothing if not controlled and focused. But he'd flustered _**Jos**_. For her to blurt out the comment about his shirt, a comment he was sure wasn't supposed to see the light of day, he realized he'd thrown her for a loop. He liked it. She'd done the same to him with her almost-but-not-quite-there shorts. And the bottle. The bottle had been the last straw; he'd had to turn away and make a concerted effort to rein in his emotions.

When she'd called him and he'd blurted out the offer to try to fix her air conditioning, he'd mentally kicked himself. He knew it had surprised her; it had surprised him. The more he'd thought about it, though, the more he realized he **wanted** an excuse to spend some time with her, off the clock, some place she was comfortable. There had always been something between them. The flirting, the barely disguised teasing.

What he hadn't expected was the jolt of pure desire he'd felt when she opened the door to him. Seeing her like that, dressed for comfort in the heat and definitely not for guests, made him swallow hard and rethink the wisdom of the whole thing.

But now, at the door of her apartment, he realized another thing: He wanted to see how far she'd let the teasing go. _Was_ it just a tease or did she feel the same way about what was there?

*** XXXX ***

Reese stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching her; the music playing in the background masking his entry to the apartment. Before his brain shorted out, he made a mental note to talk to her about how easy it was to break into her locked apartment.

In front of him, Jos stood at the open freezer with her arms crossed on the edge of the opening, her head laying on her arms, but her body moving to the music. His eyes followed the length of her; taking in things he hadn't allowed himself to notice while she was aware. She was strong, he knew that, her body gave that much away. But her skin looked like it would be soft to the touch. His hands itched to test that theory.

He tilted his head to the side slightly and grinned. Was that what he thought it was? He took a small step forward, keeping his eyes on the spot on her lower back exposed when she'd raised her arms.

_Well, well, well…Detective Carter has a secret. _He wanted to see it. He wanted her to show it to him.

He covered his smile with his hand, trying to keep as quiet as he could.

He'd kicked off his sneakers when he'd come in and realized that she wasn't in any danger after not getting an answer to his knock. He'd expected her to still be on the couch waiting for him, and when she wasn't, his first reaction had been to reach for the gun hidden in his ankle holster. He'd relaxed when he saw her through the kitchen doorway.

He liked this view better. Much, much better.

He heard her sigh and froze. He wasn't ready for her to know he was back yet. She shifted her stance and rose up on her toes. He licked his lips as the muscles in her calves tightened and popped.

When she reached for the bag, he grinned again and stepped forward.

He reached around her and grasped her arms, making her squeal out her surprise and jump back, only to land against his chest. He pulled her arms away and wrapped his arms around her, still holding hers. He leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear, "Now, now, Jos, you weren't going to peek in the bag, were you?"

She huffed out a nervous laugh. "Of course not. How'd you get in? I locked the door for this very reason."

He couldn't help but notice that she hadn't pulled out of his embrace. He pulled her a little tighter against his chest and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Picked the lock. You might consider upgrading. Were you trying to keep me out?"

Her hands moved and grasped his forearms but not, as he expected, to remove them, but to hold on tighter. "No, but getting caught in the freezer…again…with the music thumping…." She trailed off, grinning.

"It was an interesting sight."

She turned in his arms and leaned against the freezer. "So….did you get what you needed?"

He ran his hand over the spot on her back that had caught his attention. He watched her eyes as she realized where his hand was and why. He smiled. "Youthful indulgence?"

"If you call thirty youthful." Her eyes closed without her permission as his fingertips smoothed over the tattoo.

They stood together for a moment longer; just soaking in whatever it was that was happening between them. Reese leaned his forehead down on hers. "If you promise to stay out of the bag, I'll go get your air-conditioning working. As promised."

Jos looked up at him with a grin. "I promise nothing, mister. Not when I know there's probably something sweet and cold in that bag."

"It'll take me longer if I have to keep coming back and checking on you, so…" He stepped back, letting go of her and grabbing her hand; he lead her back out to the living room. "It'll probably be safer, and quicker, if I can keep an eye on you out here."

He pulled the small package containing the fuse out of his pocket and held it up for her. "In less than 5 minutes, you should have some cool air out of that thing. Which, in my book, will be really disappointing." His eyes ran down her legs.

Jos sat on the couch and cocked an eyebrow at his comment. When he turned back to the AC unit with a smirk, she cleared her throat. "You forgetting something?"

John turned back to her, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

He watched her eyes run over him. She pointed towards his chest. "The shirt."

He tossed the bag over on the floor near the AC unit, which he desperately hoped would **not **get fixed tonight. "This shirt? You want this shirt, Jos?" He pulled it away from his chest and watched for her reaction to his next words.

She nodded slowly, her eyes locked to his.

"Then come get it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 8

Fixing her eyes on him, she tried to glare. At least, she pretended to try to glare. She was rather enticed at the idea of peeling that shirt off his body, but she knew she wouldn't be able to stop there. She'd take off his jeans, those glorious ones that were putting all sorts of devilish thoughts in her head, and probably not stop there either. She'd strip him entirely, tackle him, and have her way with him.

And if she died from heat stroke in the process, well, shit, at least she'd go happy.

She couldn't take the bait and it disappointed her. She'd give anything to see the look on his face if she dared. But rather than taking the chance of embarrassing herself again, she stood. "Fine, you keep your shirt, I'll go put on some pants."

He scoffed. "You'll be punishing yourself too."

"A deal's a deal." She shrugged; certain he could read the dread radiating off her. It was already hot enough; adding more clothing was not going to help.

She expected he'd issue another argument as she turned toward the hallway, considering he'd flat out admitted he preferred her half undressed.

But she didn't expect his slightly damp shirt to fly across the room, catching her so off-guard that she didn't have time to react. Instead it hit its target, landing softly on her head, cloaking her in darkness, filling her senses with the intense, intoxicating aroma of John Reese. If it wasn't so damn hot, she might have left it there.

Pulling it away and dropping back onto the couch, she grinned at the enticing sight before her. "Don't ever play poker, John."

He grinned smugly, his smirk telling her he was well aware of her eyes soaking in the sight of him half dressed. "Any feelings on strip poker?"

Snickering, she lifted her legs and stretched them out over the coffee table, crossing them at the ankle. She let him enjoy himself as he slowly dragged his eyes up and down the length of her bare legs. When he finally managed to meet her eyes, she could see the desire that he wasn't even bothering to conceal anymore. "And here I thought we were having fun with our own little game here."

He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed heavily as he slowly shook his head. "I'm getting another beer. You want one?"

She shook her head, watching the way he moved. There was something so graceful about him, his movements, his body. She could only imagine how well that would translate to the bedroom, a thought, she determined, that raised the temperature in the room another ten degrees. She needed to stop teasing herself. The man was a flirt, an incorrigible one at that. He had no intention of going anywhere physical.

He walked back into the room with the bottle to his lips, taking a long pull from it. Watching his Adam's apple bob with his swallow, she groaned. She'd done this to herself.

His eyes turned sharply on her. "What?"

"I changed my mind." Her hand reached for the beer. "Gimme."

He laughed and stepped away. "I deserve this for," he motioned vaguely at her mostly undressed body, "putting up with you." He took another sip and shook his head at her. "Tease."

She laughed at the idea. "Like you're one to talk!" Hadn't she just decided he was the tease? Hell, she was perfectly willing to resolve anything he mistook for teasing right then and there.

His grin faded as he turned away, his attention back on the air conditioner. The light, fun environment changed with his mood and she wondered what the hell had just happened. Everything had been fine. He'd joked with her; she'd joked back.

But…

Shit.

He really thought she was teasing. And, judging from his mood swing, he hadn't been. Those delightful moments in the kitchen came back to her, the feel of his body pressed against hers, the way his arms had closed around her waist.

Fuck.

She'd been so wrapped up in thinking it was just more teasing that she'd managed to miss the moment he'd actually made a move on her. There was only one thing to do: clear up any misconceptions the man had regarding her willingness to follow through on everything she'd been teasing. Her wide smile returned, thinking of how she was about to make him a very happy man.

Which meant she could torture the shit out of him for the interim.

She moved beside him, snagging the fuse out of his fingers before he could argue and dropping it onto the windowsill. "That can wait another few minutes. Come here." Taking his hand, she pulled him toward the couch. "Sit."

"What am I, your dog?" He set his beer on the table.

"Don't make me smack you with a rolled up newspaper." He complied with a chuckle. She sat down next to him, angling his shoulders away. "You work too hard, John. You need to learn to relax."

He turned his head to respond, maybe to inquire what she was doing, but he said nothing as her hands fell on his shoulders. Her fingers dug into the muscles there, finding as many knots as she'd known there would be. They were both quiet as she tried to relieve some of the stress he carried with him, the silence only broken by his occasional sigh or a hitched breath when she hit a tender spot.

"Jeez, John, when was the last time you just chilled? I think you have more knots than muscles back here."

"Probably 1986." Though he was joking, she could hear it in his voice. The tension. The uncertainty. The mistrust. He wasn't going to relax. He couldn't relax. Not when he thought she was teasing him mercilessly, not when her gentle touch was turning him on and he was still trying to hide it.

Only one thing to do: convince him that she wasn't playing. One of her hands lifted to his ear to pull the tiny piece of electronic equipment free.

His head jerked toward her, obviously surprised that she remembered what he'd forgotten. She held his eyes and grinned when she lifted the device to her mouth.

"Goodbye, Finch, John needs a day off," she whispered. She tossed the earwig on the coffee table before she slipped her fingers into his hip pocket to withdraw his phone and disconnect it. "Now that we're alone…"

Her hands returned to their task, working over the kinks he'd spent years collecting. She couldn't let him withdraw from her, wouldn't dare let him question the trust he had in her. She wouldn't be able to deal with that.

Lightening her touch to a caress, she let her hands drift down the length of his back, then up to his shoulders, eventually dropping down over his arms. He let her do it, didn't say a word about it, but she felt the way he was shaking, ever so slightly, trembling with the force of his desire or anger or pain, she couldn't be sure.

All she knew was that he wanted to be there with her even if it was just going to hurt him. And she wasn't about to let him hurt anymore.

Her arms moved around him as she shifted against him, exactly the way he had done to her in the kitchen. Her chin slipped over his shoulder, her mouth moving to the skin just below his ear, one of her hands pressing against his belly, slowly trailing downward.

She felt the moment he realized what she intended, where her hand was headed, the way his whole body tightened up, the sharp intake of air that sounded like it might be his last.

Her voice came out in a throaty whisper that revealed she was every bit as turned on as he was. "I'm not teasing, John. Whatever you want, it's yours." Her lips touched the corner of his jaw, then his neck.

He reached back, his fingers finding her thighs, and gripping her as he pulled her closer, guiding her legs around his hips. "I want you, Jos."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 9

He heard her quick intake of breath and stilled her hands from continuing their descent. The words had come out without his permission; they weren't a lie, not even close. He did want her. But he didn't want her like this. He didn't want her to feel like she owed him; didn't want her to feel like the tease had gone too far and she had no choice.

His head bowed. "Jos."

He felt her head shake against his shoulder where her chin rested. "No, John, tell me again."

His hands ran along her thighs and she felt him shift; turning so one of her legs lay across his lap, her other stretched out behind him. He knew things had changed, but if she was forcing the words out of him only to throw them in his face, he'd never forgive her.

He turned his head and caught her eyes with his. She didn't look away which, in his book, was a good sign. He watched her eyes as they ran over his face. The look she gave him wasn't a teasing one, it was a look he hadn't seen on anyone in so long he almost missed it. He tilted his head and gave her a slight smile.

He felt her hand again, this time slowly roaming over his back. She grasped the hand he'd absently laid on her leg and gave it a quick squeeze.

"John." She leaned forward, her eyes closing, and ran her nose over his chin, her lips coming so close to his. She heard him catch his breath and looked up at him. He heard her whisper, "Tell me."

He grasped her jaw in his hands, and watched her eyes. "So help me, Jos, if you…"

"Tell me."

He saw it then: the fear, the desire, and the determination.

John roped his arms underneath her and wrangled her over so she straddled his lap. He slid his hands up her back, keeping his eyes on her. "I want you."

The words came out almost as softly as the first time, but he punctuated them by pulling her to his chest and kissing her shoulder.

He leaned back and watched her let out a breath and then a slow smile graced her face. "Was that so hard?"

He fingered the hem of her tank at her back, sliding his fingers under and caressing the skin he found there. He shook his head slowly, leaning further back against the couch"Not as much as I thought it would be. "Are you going to tell me about this?" He ran his fingers over the tattoo.

Jos put her hands on his shoulders and leaned back. She let out a nervous chuckle. "Are you serious? You can _**not**_ be serious…you want to know about that _**now**_?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, smirking, and pulled his hands down to her hips, running his thumbs over her skin. It was as soft as he'd imagined it to be. Absently, he wondered if **all** of her skin was as soft as these two small areas.

"It can probably wait; we'll have plenty of time."

Jos moved her hands from his shoulders to his neck, her thumbs running over the stubble on his jaw. She leaned forward and slid her lips over the spots her thumbs had just vacated. "So, now that you have me here, you plan on sitting on the couch all night?"

"I hadn't planned on it, no."

One side of her mouth twitched up. "No? So, tell me, what did you have planned?"

He debated continuing the tease, but thought better of it; there was too much at stake. "I didn't plan this."

She ran her thumb over his lips. "I know you didn't. Neither did I. But I really don't think this 'just happened' either, do you?"

John kissed her thumb and her eyes jumped to his. "No. I think this is something we've been dancing around."

She inched forward on his lap, her knees pressing into the couch on either side of his thighs. She pressed her palm against his cheek and he felt the warmth to his bones. It was incredibly hot in her apartment, but the fear of making a mistake, of ruining something that was just starting, something he wanted so badly, chilled him.

He turned his head, smoothing a kiss across her palm, his own hands slipping up under her tank at the back. He felt her arch her back against his hands and heard a soft groan escape her throat. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He didn't want to rush this, but damn it…if she kept that up…..

"John?"

"Hmmm?"

He felt the whisper of her lips against his. "I'm done dancing."

He caught her mouth with his quickly and pulled away. "Good. I'm beginning to get tired of playing this game. Time to put up or shut up, Carter."

She huffed out a laugh. "Put up or shut up, huh?" She ran her hands over his chest and leaned in, kissing him harder, tracing his lips with her tongue. She pressed down against him, feeling him hard underneath her. "At least I know you're up for it."

The groan that escaped him sounded like it came from somewhere else. "Jesus. I think we need to move this somewhere a little more comfortable."

"I don't know, I sort of like having you here…at my mercy." He felt her hand grasp for his belt buckle and knew he had to make a quick decision or this was going to get out of his control and fast.

"You should know better, Carter."

"Should know what better?"

He reached his left hand down and, holding her ass with his right forearm, pushed off the couch in one fluid move. She crossed her ankles around his hips and, laughing, held on for dear life as he stood. "You should know that I'm never at anyone's mercy, not even yours, not yet." He reached back, fisting her hair and pulled her mouth hard against his.

He had been in her apartment enough to know the basic layout, but he'd never had to maneuver the area with her wrapped around him or with her tongue in his mouth. He could get used to this kind of training.

John moved slowly, his hands locked around her, holding her up. The frustration at not being able to touch her and feel her skin under his hands lasted only until they hit the hallway. He turned, pressing her against the wall with his body, making sure she could feel how much he wanted her. Hearing her quiet gasp only inflamed him further.

Jos pulled away from his mouth and leaned her forehead on his trying to catch her breath. "Not much further, John…changing your mind?"

He answered by biting down gently on the side of her neck. "Hardly." He drew his hands along her sides, under the flimsy tank top that had been a distraction all night. He felt her tense up, nearly imperceptibly, as his hands pulled at the offending garment. "Off, Carter. Let me take this off you. Lift."

She lifted her arms away from him and their eyes locked as he pulled her shirt over her head. He smoothed her hair down and kissed her quickly, smiling. "Much better. Now we're even." He tossed the tank into the darkness in the hallway behind them. He couldn't seem to stop kissing her as he leaned in again. Her mouth was quickly becoming an addiction. His hands drew up her stomach, covering her breasts. He smiled against her mouth when he heard her quick gasp as his thumbs worked over her peaked nipples.

"John. Focus. Let's get a move-on, huh? Twenty feet…we just need to move twenty feet." She kissed him and rested her head against his shoulder trying to gain some semblance of control over her racing heart.

John pulled them away from the wall, holding her in a tight embrace.

"My, my, Jos…you're awfully bossy when you're half naked."

He felt her chuckle against his chest and smiled. This was going to be so good for both of them, he thought absently, as he pushed open her bedroom door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 10

John had always seemed so graceful in his movements, so when he belly-flopped onto her bed on top of her, Jos had to laugh. He met her gaze, his eyes the picture of confusion, even as his hips ground into hers, letting her know that his body wasn't confused in the least.

She smiled, dragging her nails down his back. "In a hurry?"

He grabbed her wrists, holding them down on either side of her head and settling his legs between hers. "Yes, Carter, I am in a hurry." He leaned down to nip at her lips. "If I don't have you right fucking now, I'm going to die."

She giggled at his impatience, bending her knees and squeezing his hips with her thighs. "We can't have that, now can we?"

His mouth opened to respond, but she chose that moment to tilt her hips, grinding herself onto his erection and silencing him. When his head fell forward onto her shoulder, Jos realized that he really was that desperate. That precious control of his was long gone and he needed her help. He could, of course, just hurry it along and take care of himself, but she suspected that he really didn't want to do that. Not wanting to let their first time be lost to raging hormones, she decided to act.

Besides, as long as John was going to be pliant and agreeable, she was going to take advantage of being able to boss him around. She wiggled her wrists out of his grasp and pushed at his shoulders. "You. On your back. Now."

His pupils widened as his eyes locked on hers. She saw the spark of adrenaline, the desire to fight, the desire that drowned them both. He obediently rolled over, grabbing her waist and bringing her with him. Straddling him, she pressed her hands to his shoulders. "I'm afraid you're overdressed for this heat, John." She grabbed his belt buckle, making sure to accidentally run her hand over the hard length of him through his jeans. He grunted and thrust up into her, his head falling back, his eyes closing.

Poor baby. She wanted to take the time to point out that being under such tight control all the time, to the point of denying himself something so basic, resulted in his inability to enjoy it. Although, she grinned as she slid her body down, it meant that he'd be sticking around all night to relieve all those months or, fuck maybe years, of tension. All the better for her to enjoy. He'd be so damn happy that he'd be certain to return the favor.

After loosening his belt, she popped open the button and slowly, teasingly drew the zipper down, feeling his body shudder. She reached for the waistband of his jeans, hesitating for the briefest of moments, wanting to take her time. But John was gripping the blanket in tight fists, his eyes screwed shut so hard it looked painful. No, now was not the time for teasing. They had all night to play. This was the time to act, to resolve what had been smoldering between them since the first time they'd met.

Her fingers grabbed his boxers as well and, with his cooperative effort of lifting his hips, shoved them down until she could push them off with her feet. Then she sat back on her heels, giving herself a chance to look at him. Just look at him.

The man was beautiful, a rugged combination of soft and hard, smooth skin and rough scars. She wanted to kiss every part of him, taste and lick and memorize his body. But first, there were things that needed attention. One thing in particular that had finally been released from the confines of his clothes.

She shimmied her way back up, running her hands up his chest, leaning down to capture his lips. He'd regained some focus, lifting his hands to caress her thighs, slip over her ass, then grip her waist as he ground his hips into her. If only she'd thought to take off her shorts, he would already have been buried inside her.

Her lips broke from his, tracing a line along his jaw, back to his ear. "We'll get to that part, John. There's something I want to do first."

His head turned, his eyes questioning, his mouth curving into a smirk. "There are a lot of things I want to do, Jos," he said in a throaty whisper.

A rush of heat between her legs at his words left her body at his control, her face falling forward into the bed over his shoulder, her moan at the allusion sounding even more pathetic and desperate than his had. She'd thought she was running the show, but one sentence and she realized his declaration in the hallway had been correct - she was only in charge when he let her be in charge.

He chuckled, realizing he'd made his point, turning his head to kiss her while she gathered herself back together. His kiss reminded her that she had other things in mind than simply lying there and being frustrated. For the first time, she had another option.

She pushed herself back up, forcing herself not to be distracted when his hands moved back to her breasts, thumbing the nipples and tightening the knot he'd made in her core. She grabbed his wrists again and pushed his hands down. "You can play later." She smirked at him, realizing his eyes were absolutely not on her face. "It's my turn."

Slowly she released his wrists, drawing her fingers carefully along his arms, sliding over his shoulders, letting her hands rest on his chest for a moment before they continued their path down his abdomen. As her fingers drifted over his hips, she glanced up, expecting to see his head thrown back, his eyes closed.

Instead, his eyes were open, steely blue fixed on hers, watching, waiting.

She started to smirk, thinking that she had the upper hand, but her smirk faded into a soft smile. In the end, it wasn't a battle of wills or vying for control. She wanted this. He wanted this. And she wanted to do something for him.

She held his eyes as her hand wrapped around the base of his erection, watching the way he worked to swallow, recognizing how much effort it was taking him to keep from closing his eyes. She was going to reward him for that.

Her eyes didn't waver as she lowered her head the rest of the way, taking him into her mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 11

Every neuron in his body fired at once as her mouth took him in. If the urge to watch her hadn't been so overwhelming, his eyes would have already slammed shut, the feeling was so intense. As it was, he couldn't, his eyes were riveted to hers as she watched him with a predatory gleam. He wouldn't have missed this for anything.

He'd fantasized about those lips, those hands, in so many different ways over the months. He now realized how incredibly off the mark he'd been. There was nothing to compare to the feeling, the sight, of her lips sliding over his flesh, her hand slipping up in time with her mouth. It was more...so much more than he could have ever imagined in his head. A part of him couldn't believe they'd gotten to this point. They'd always, right from the beginning, teased and flirted and bantered, but he'd never expected it to go anywhere. He wasn't her type, he wasn't good enough for her, she deserved so much more than he could give her. But here they were. He couldn't argue with the fact that she had her hands and mouth on him. Couldn't argue when he felt his balls tighten with every swipe of her tongue or soft pressure from her hand.

When she reached down to cup him, her fingers tracing over him gently, he didn't recognize his own voice. "Jesus, Jos".

She lifted her head, her hand never stopping its movement. "Is there a problem?"

He could hear the smile in her voice and he huffed out a quick laugh. "God, no…no…" He sucked in a quick breath as her fingernails ran down the inside of his thigh, a feather-like touch he felt down to his toes.

"I want to touch you, Jos. Come up here." This was going to be over before it started if he didn't get her to stop stroking him. He reached out a hand and sifted his fingers through her hair. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. John watched her carefully, his heart clenching in his chest. He was taken aback by the feeling, but knew he had to push it away. Now wasn't the time to think; he just wanted them to feel. They could sort through everything, if there was anything to sort through, later.

She stood slowly and he sat up, his hand drifting down between her breasts and over her stomach, coming to rest on the boy-shorts she still wore. He wanted to be a gentleman and ask permission, he really did, but he didn't think either of them had the patience right now. He hooked his thumbs in the edges of her shorts and pulled them down her legs. As she stepped out of them, John ran his hands up the back of her thighs, pulling her between his legs. She rested her hands on his shoulders as his hands slid slowly up over her rear.

Jos wrapped her hand around him again as he pressed his cheek against her stomach. He counted to three, trying to control the almost primal need he had for her. He could smell her, feel her, and as his mouth moved up to latch onto a peaked nipple, he could taste her. His senses were on overload.

John heard her suck in a quick breath as he worried her nipple with his teeth gently. When he moved to give attention to the other, he felt her hands on his face, pulling him up and then felt her lips brush over his. "John?"

He looked up at her and knew she could see the desire in his eyes because he could see the same in hers. It floored him.

"Don't treat me like I'm fragile. I'm not. You, of all people, should know that. Let yourself go, I'm not going to break."

He growled deep in his throat as he stood with her in his arms. "I know you aren't. But if I rush things now, it'll be over before I want it to be." He let her slide down his body, closing his eyes as her stomach brushed over his erection.

Jos stood in front of him, his arms still wrapped around her. She pressed a kiss to his chest and ran her nails over his naked thighs, reaching around to grasp his ass, pulling him against her. "I want you, John…so much. Don't make me beg."

Before she could catch her breath, John laid his hands on her hips and turned her towards the bed. He smirked at her. "You'll beg…but I promise I won't make you do it for long." He felt, rather than heard her responding chuckle.

He sat her on the edge of the bed. "Right now, though…" Hooking his hands behind her knees, he pulled her towards him, watching her face. He knelt down between her legs, running his hands over her feet and up her legs.

John watched as she pulled herself up on her elbows, her head rolling back, exposing her throat. He made a mental note to get a taste of that spot later.

She lifted her head, her eyes locking with his. "Right now?" Her voice came out in a rushed whisper.

He placed a hand on her stomach, spreading his fingers. He tried to imagine what was going on in her head, what she was feeling, as he leaned down and bit gently on her hipbone, inches from where he really wanted to be. He heard her moan softly as his hand slid slowly down, running through her curls. He pressed his lips where his fingers had been, consciously avoiding her center. "Right now, I want you to close your eyes."

She lay back down, but not before John saw her fist the sheets tightly.

He stood and leaned over her, his hands pressed into the bed at her sides. He whispered into her ear, "Don't move. Don't open your eyes. Don't touch me. Not until I've made you beg, Jos. And I will."

"John." He smiled when his name came out as a quiet whine.

When her hands came up around his neck, he kissed her hard, grasping her wrists and pressing her arms down near her head. "That's not quite the sound I want to hear from you, baby, but it's close."

He pulled away, smiling as he watched her mouth follow him, trying to kiss him again. He leaned into her neck, nipping her, and releasing her hands. "Now, don't move."

Starting at her shoulder, he kissed his way down her body, making sure to gently touch every inch of her as he moved down, her breasts getting extra attention from hands and lips and a quick brush of his day-old scruff across her overly sensitive nipples.

When he reached her core, he ran his thumbs over her hip bones and rested his chin just below her belly button. He could feel her trembling lightly, in anticipation he hoped, watched her hands grip and release the sheets, felt her legs tensing. He smiled to himself; he should have known she'd have trouble letting go of her control, especially if it meant giving it to him.

"Relax." His thumbs rubbed circles down her hips, coming to rest at the juncture of her thighs. He kissed each spot he touched, blowing a light puff of air over her as he moved from side to side, closer each time to where he knew she wanted his mouth.

"You know I'm going to have to kill you, right?"

He chuckled against her, making her gasp and thrust her hips up when he dipped a finger between her folds, testing her. "I can only hope."

"I don't need this…I need you…inside me."

He swiped his tongue over her, eliciting a guttural "Shit" from her. "You know what I want to hear."

"Something that's never going to happen."

He slid a finger and then another into her, not quite as gently as he wanted to, but the sound she made, the hiss that escaped, told him she was beyond minding. "Never is a long time. I'm not sure you can hold out that long."

"Watch me." Her words were forced, shaky.

"I love watching you. I want to watch you come undone." He pulled his fingers out slowly, pushing them back in harder, his thumb swiping over her clit once, then twice. He felt her shudder, knew the signs.

A lesser man would have been offended by the words that sprung from her mouth. John just chuckled and noted she still hadn't opened her eyes or made an attempt to touch him. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he was getting to her. It was time to ramp it up.

"Look at me."

"You told me not to."

He shook his head. Now she listens to him? "_Look at me_."

Her head came up and they locked eyes. He pushed himself up, never taking his hands from her, and he kissed her, hard. "I just want you to watch."

"Watch?"

Good, she was down to single syllables.

"Yeah." He moved back down her body, his nose brushing through her. When he looked back up at her he wasn't smiling; his eyes had taken on an evil gleam. He spread her with his thumbs. "I'm about to make you scream."

With that, he buried his face between her legs. And she did.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: This is the last chapter, but there is an epilogue that will be posted tomorrow. :)_

Chapter 12

It took her several minutes to come back to herself. That man and his mouth. Good god. She'd happily keep him prisoner in her bed for the rest of time. She forced her eyes open as John was crawling back onto the bed, his shit-eating grin firmly in place.

Though, as she smirked back, she'd probably refer to it as his Jos-eating grin from there on out.

He took his time to slide over her, finally aligning their bodies and kissing her lips. She shuttered again, the trembling effects of his talented tongue still buzzing through her veins. Pulling his mouth away enough to speak, he chuckled at her.

"Need a break, Carter?"

Oh, he wanted it like that, did he?

Gathering together the shattered pieces of her body, she smiled. "You got me to scream, fine. But I'm going to make you beg."

His eyes were sparkling as he laughed again. "That's never going to happen," he mimicked.

"We'll see about that."

It wasn't so much about one-upping him as it was about finally having a chance to act out all the fantasies she'd had about him. From the first time she'd heard his voice - scraggly beard, whiskey stench and all - he'd done something to her, something that wasn't right. Or, considering how she had to work to coordinate her muscles at the moment, it was something very, very right.

His voice was pure sex and every time she'd heard him, she couldn't help but think of him like this, naked and turned on and in her bed. And now that she had him where she wanted him, she could play, especially since he'd taken the edge off.

He was perfectly compliant as she rolled him onto his back. In fact, he was so distracted by her breasts that he didn't even realize what she was doing. He leaned up, catching one of her nipples in his mouth then the other, almost making her forget her goal.

She leaned forward, letting him think he was winning as he split his attention between both equally desperate nipples. While he was busy, she grabbed his hands one at a time and lifted them up to the headboard. He still didn't see it coming, she realized, as he went right on with his ministrations. It made her laugh out loud when she snapped the handcuffs tight, locking his wrists over his head, partly because of his utter shock, mostly because of the frightened squeak he uttered.

She grinned down at him, wanting to bask in her win, until she saw the fear in his eyes. As fearless as he tried to appear, she'd just hit on the one thing that terrified him. It was adorable, she decided, that he was afraid of something that she carried around with her every day. She was seeing such a different side of him today. Her eyes drifted over his beautiful, completely aroused body, extremely thankful for her shithead of a landlord. She'd have to send him a fruit basket.

She sat back on her heels, placed her hands on his hip bones and slowly dragged her fingers up. Over his scars, over his muscles, over the planes of his body that she'd ached to see and touch for so long. Her palms slipped over his shoulders and she pressed her upper body down, lowering her mouth to his ear.

"Shhh, John, trust me." She moved up, meeting his eyes, watching him weigh his options. Then, as she reached up and laced her fingers with his, his fear disappeared. A slow nod followed.

He was scared, but he was going with it. She smirked at him, almost telling him now he knew how she'd felt since day one - nervous but curious, scared but willing. She was going to reward him. She was going to reward them both.

"Now be a good boy."

His eyebrows shot up in response, but he bit back whatever he wanted to say. And here she'd never thought he was one for taking orders.

She was tempted, really, really tempted, to go get the chocolate syrup out of the kitchen, but she couldn't. He was going out on a limb trusting her with the cuffs. If she left the room, he'd have a stroke. Or tear the headboard apart. Never mind. The chocolate wouldn't be necessary. John tasted so fucking good there was no need anyway.

She started at his forehead, kissing him, raking her fingers through his short hair. She moved onto his cheekbones, those perfect cheekbones that were sharp enough to cut with. She took her time exploring his throat and shoulders, her hips moving, her fingers exploring, her mouth tasting every inch of him. His reactions were delightful to watch, learning what he really liked, where he was ticklish, which touches made his eyes roll back in his head. She'd need the information for future endeavors. Once would never be enough with this perfect specimen of a man.

She would have liked to continue her exploration, but John's whimpers were growing pathetic and, quite frankly, she was having trouble resisting anymore. So she crawled back up his body, dragging her breasts over his erection, loving the groaning hiss of her name as she did. Her hips hovered over him, meeting his eyes as she reached for him, lining him up and slipping down onto him.

The feeling was so exquisite that she immediately reconsidered the brilliance of cuffing him. All of her muscles turned to jelly as her whole body focused in a tight knot where their bodies were joined. She could die a happy woman.

Almost.

Although he'd stopped whimpering, she knew John was in far worse shape. He wasn't begging yet, but he was close. With the way he was struggling against the cuffs and bucking under her, she knew he'd say anything to get free. He wasn't used to taking the back seat.

She wanted his hands on her, but she wasn't about to lose the point. Looking down at him, she licked her lips, watching the way his pupils dilated. Then she raised up and slowly lowered herself back down. She couldn't help the moan that came out of her mouth, nor could she prevent the way her head lolled back. She didn't even fucking care that he wasn't begging, not anymore. She was enjoying herself way too much.

And then, just as she was deciding to fold, she heard his tight, pained voice.

"Jos, please-"

Oh thank god. "Never going to happen, huh?" She grinned as she leaned forward, her hands shaking as she unfastened the handcuffs.

She'd never seen anyone move so fast in her life. The moment his wrists were free, he grabbed her hips, anchoring her to him as he flipped them over, his full weight crashing into her as his hips found a harsh, fast rhythm. She dug her nails into his shoulders to brace herself against his thrusts, knowing she was going to hurt like hell from the way he was pounding into her.

All the nerves he'd untied with his tongue just a few moments earlier were knotted right back up, her legs wrapping around his waist and squeezing him hard. Fucking hell, she was screaming again, and she had no idea what was coming out of her mouth. She only knew that she was having the best sex of her life and she never, ever wanted it to end.

And when she came again, she was pretty damn sure her body exploded. Or maybe just her brain. Or both.

All she knew was that she couldn't even breathe when he thrust into her a few more times, finding his release inside of her and collapsing on top of her spent body.

She had no idea how much time passed before she became aware of anything at all. First, it was how gloriously relaxed she was. Second, she remembered that it was John Reese who was crushing her, that trouble- and pleasure-making mouth of his pressed against her neck. Thirdly, she felt the delicious thrill shoot up her body at the realization that his dick was still very much inside of her and would thus alert her immediately when he was ready for the next round.

And fourth, well, that was the one that prompted her to move, making her shove at his shoulder until he lifted his head to meet her eyes.

He stared at her, stunned, perhaps as startled as she was by the fact that it had actually, finally happened. And then he realized she was trying to make him move. "What, Jos? I'm tired."

"John," she looked up at him, wishing she could bear the thought of staying there forever like that, but knowing she would certainly die if he didn't move right then. "Get the hell off me; it's fucking hot in here."


	7. Chapter 7

Epilogue

Reese rolled over and smiled. Jos was sprawled out next to him on her stomach; her hair an unruly mess, the sheet draped low on her naked back. He ran his fingers down her spine gently and leaned over, brushing his lips over her shoulder. She didn't budge. His ego got a small boost knowing that he'd worn her out almost to the point of unconsciousness. He'd never tell her that she'd done the same to him.

He reached down and picked up his boxers, slipped them on, and stood. He looked back over to her again, wanting to crawl back in and wake her up slowly, but he knew he had a few things that he needed to take care of first.

He padded into the living room and spotted the small bag with the fuse lying on the floor. The fuse and the AC unit - the whole reason he was here to begin with. He'd promised her he'd fix it, or at least try. He squatted down in front of it and popped the cover off. It didn't take long for him to spot where the fuse was and replace it. He sent up a quick prayer before pressing the power button. The machine sputtered to life and a blast of air, maybe not cold yet but cool, hit him in the face.

Oh yeah, she was going to love him for this.

He swallowed hard. He wasn't going to go there. Maybe one day….

He shook the thought from his head and moved towards the kitchen and the next thing on the agenda: the freezer.

Pulling open the freezer door, he pulled out the bag he'd brought with him and teased her with before things got…interesting. He'd passed the bakery on his way over and couldn't resist. She had a weakness for sweets and he knew it. He was about to use that weakness to his advantage. To both their advantages, he hoped.

Reese leaned on the frame of the doorway to her bedroom watching her. She'd rolled to her side and her arm had reached out across the bed where he'd been. He wanted to believe she was looking for him in her sleep.

He slipped his boxers off again and slid back into bed. He tried to keep from rustling the bag and reached in, taking out one of the small treats he'd hidden away from her. He unwrapped it and took a small bite, nearly moaning in appreciation. She was going to fight him for every last one he, just knew it. This was going be fun.

He took the opened treat and ran the coolness over her lips and then kissed her softly. He repeated it until her eyes fluttered open and focused on him. He ran it over her lips again.

"Open your mouth, Jos."

She watched him with hooded, sleepy eyes but did as he asked. He popped the rest of it into her mouth and covered her lips with his.

She had almost the same reaction he'd had at the first bite: she moaned and closed her eyes. The sound went straight to his groin. She had a habit of drawing that reaction from him.

"Oh my God. What is that? That was amazing."

He kissed her again, something he was getting entirely too addicted to. "Red Velvet Cheesecake. Chocolate cookie crust."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "You remembered?"

He smiled at her, a little embarrassed. "You might have mentioned it a few times."

She pushed him over on his back and straddled him. "Once. I mentioned my love of Red Velvet cake once. And you found it in a cheesecake? I might have to keep you."

They stared at each other for a long moment, both afraid of saying too much. The corner of his mouth turned up, his decision made. "I don't think I'm going anywhere with you sitting on me like this."

She nodded and smiled, understanding. She ran her hands over his chest. "Hmmm…and what will I do with you in this position, Mr. Reese?"

Before he could answer, her head popped up and turned quickly to the side. "What's that noise?" She looked down at him.

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and reached up to run his hands over her shoulders and down the front of her, cupping her breasts, and running his thumbs gently over her nipples.

Her head rolled back with the sensation, but her focus was still on the noise. "John…that sounds like my air conditioning. Is that my air conditioning?"

Reese leaned up and nipped her neck, his hands reaching around and pulling her against him. "Maybe. Would it get me anywhere with you?"

She laughed and leaned down to kiss him. "If that's my air conditioning, I'm definitely never letting you leave. I'm going to keep you naked and satisfied for the rest of your life."

He didn't miss a beat. "It's your air conditioning."

END


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